HLA-B*27:44, a novel allele identified by sequence-based typing, is a well-documented allele in China

The sequence of HLA-B*27:44 differs in exon 2 from the sequence of B*27:08 by one amino acid change at codon 74.

A novel HLA-B allele, B*40:01:06, identified by sequence-based typing in a Chinese individual

The sequence of HLA-B*40:01:06 differs in exon 3 from the sequence of B*40:01:01 by one nucleotide 435 (codon121) G to A.

Alcohol consumption and body weight change in postmenopausal women: results from the Women's Health Initiative

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether alcohol consumption is associated with incident overweight or obesity in normal-weight, postmenopausal women.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study considering baseline alcohol consumption and subsequent weight change over 7 years.

SUBJECTS

15,920 normal-weight (body mass index (BMI): 18.5 to <25 kg m(-2)), postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trial.

MEASUREMENTS

Body weight change, and incident overweight and obesity (BMI, 25.0 to <30 and ≥ 30 kg m(-2)) over 7 years.

RESULTS

One-third of the 13,822 women included in the analytical cohort reported no alcohol consumption. BMI differed little between abstainers (22.8±1.58 kg m(-2)) and alcohol consumers in the upper quintile (22.7±1.53 kg m(-2)). Among normal-weight women, the risk of becoming overweight or obese over a 7-year follow-up period was 35% or 88% lower, respectively, for women in the upper quintile of alcohol intake relative to abstainers (hazard ratio (HR), 0.65; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.58-0.73; or HR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.05-0.25, respectively). Risk for overweight and obesity was not significantly modified by age. Wine consumption showed the greatest protective association for risk of overweight (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.68-0.84), followed by liquor (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.78-0.93) and beer (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-1.00).

CONCLUSION

Postmenopausal women of normal weight who report moderate alcohol intake have a reduced risk of becoming overweight or obese over time. Perhaps, weight control measures in this population should target behaviors other than reduction in alcohol for those of normal BMI consuming moderate amounts.

Repeatless and repeat-based centromeres in potato: implications for centromere evolution

Centromeres in most higher eukaryotes are composed of long arrays of satellite repeats. By contrast, most newly formed centromeres (neocentromeres) do not contain satellite repeats and instead include DNA sequences representative of the genome. An unknown question in centromere evolution is how satellite repeat-based centromeres evolve from neocentromeres. We conducted a genome-wide characterization of sequences associated with CENH3 nucleosomes in potato (Solanum tuberosum). Five potato centromeres (Cen4, Cen6, Cen10, Cen11, and Cen12) consisted primarily of single- or low-copy DNA sequences. No satellite repeats were identified in these five centromeres. At least one transcribed gene was associated with CENH3 nucleosomes. Thus, these five centromeres structurally resemble neocentromeres. By contrast, six potato centromeres (Cen1, Cen2, Cen3, Cen5, Cen7, and Cen8) contained megabase-sized satellite repeat arrays that are unique to individual centromeres. The satellite repeat arrays likely span the entire functional cores of these six centromeres. At least four of the centromeric repeats were amplified from retrotransposon-related sequences and were not detected in Solanum species closely related to potato. The presence of two distinct types of centromeres, coupled with the boom-and-bust cycles of centromeric satellite repeats in Solanum species, suggests that repeat-based centromeres can rapidly evolve from neocentromeres by de novo amplification and insertion of satellite repeats in the CENH3 domains.

Risk factors for human rabies in China

In China, we have witnessed an increasing incidence of rabies in recent years and the number of deaths ranked first among the 39 notifiable infectious diseases. We conducted a case-control study to identify risk factors for human rabies infection and disease to recommend prevention and treatment among people exposed to rabies. Exposure site, pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure prophylaxis were significantly associated with rabies infection. Exposure site at upper limb and trunk or at lower limb were at lower risk as compared with head-exposed patients. The OR was 0.09(95% CI: 0.009-0.93) and 0.01(95% CI: 0.001-0.115) respectively. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (OR = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.03-0.11) and post-exposure prophylaxis (OR = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01-0.40) were both protective factors as compared with no prophylaxis. For patients who had post-exposure prophylaxis, dose for the first injection and immunity procedure were significantly associated with rabies infection.

Mask-less ultraviolet photolithography based on CMOS-driven micro-pixel light emitting diodes

We report on an approach to ultraviolet (UV) photolithography and direct writing where both the exposure pattern and dose are determined by a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) controlled micro-pixellated light emitting diode array. The 370 nm UV light from a demonstrator 8 x 8 gallium nitride micro-pixel LED is projected onto photoresist covered substrates using two back-to-back microscope objectives, allowing controlled demagnification. In the present setup, the system is capable of delivering up to 8.8 W/cm2 per imaged pixel in circular spots of diameter approximately 8 microm. We show example structures written in positive as well as in negative photoresist.

JWA regulates melanoma metastasis by integrin alphaVbeta3 signaling

JWA, a newly identified novel microtubule-associated protein (MAP), was recently demonstrated to be indispensable for the rearrangement of actin cytoskeleton and activation of MAPK cascades induced by arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) and phorbol ester (PMA). JWA depletion blocked the inhibitory effect of As(2)O(3) on HeLa cell migration, but enhanced cell migration after PMA treatment. As cancer cell migration is a hallmark of tumor metastasis and the functional role of JWA in cancer metastasis is not understood, here we show that JWA has an important role in melanoma metastasis. Our data demonstrated that JWA knockdown increased the adhesion and invasion abilities of melanoma cells. Furthermore, JWA knockdown in B16-F10 and A375 melanoma cells significantly promoted the formation and growth of metastatic colonies in vivo. Moreover, in the tumor biopsies from human melanoma patients, JWA expression was significantly decreased in malignant melanoma compared with normal nevi. In addition, we found that JWA knockdown could intensify tumor integrin alpha(V)beta(3) signaling by regulating nuclear factor Sp1. These findings suggest that JWA suppresses melanoma metastasis and may serve a potential therapeutic target for human melanoma.

Hybrid GaN/organic microstructured light-emitting devices via ink-jet printing

We report what we believe to be the first use of organic nanostructures for efficient colour conversion of gallium nitride light emitting diodes (LEDs). The particular nanomaterials, based on star-shaped truxene oligofluorenes, offer an attractive alternative to inorganic colloidal quantum dots in the search for novel and functional 'nanophosphors'. The truxenes have been formed into a composite with photoresist and ink-jet printed onto microstructured gallium nitride LEDs, resulting in a demonstrator hybrid microdisplay technology with pixel size approximately 32 microm. The output power density of the hybrid device was measured to be approximately 8.4 mW/cm(2) per pixel at driving current density of 870.8A/cm(2) and the efficiency of colour conversion at drive current of 7 mA was estimated to be approximately 50%.

Total concentrations and speciation of heavy metals in soils of the Shenyang Zhangshi Irrigation Area, China

The Shenyang Zhangshi Irrigation Area (SZIA) was used for the spreading of municipal and industrial waste water, which is an economic way of irrigating crops, recycling nutrients and water treatment. Long-term irrigation resulted in a severe metal contamination of soils. To identify the soil phases implicated in retaining the metals, sequential extractions were performed. The most predominant metal was cadmium which was mainly associated with mobile, easily soluble and easily reducible fractions. Copper was mainly associated with the residual, EDTA extractable and moderately reducible fractions. Lead was bound to organic matter and poorly crystalline Fe-oxides. Nickel and zinc were mainly associated with the residual and strongly reducible fractions. Although copper, lead, nickel and zinc concentrations were of minor importance mobile metal concentrations of these metals as well as of cadmium exceeded German trigger values for plant production and plant growth.

MER3 is required for normal meiotic crossover formation, but not for presynaptic alignment in rice

MER3, a ZMM protein, is required for the formation of crossovers in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Arabidopsis. Here, MER3, the first identified ZMM gene in a monocot, is characterized by map-based cloning in rice (Oryza sativa). The null mutation of MER3 results in complete sterility without any vegetative defects. Cytological analyses show that chiasma frequency is reduced dramatically in mer3 mutants and the remaining chiasmata distribute randomly among different pollen mother cells, implying possible coexistence of two kinds of crossover in rice. Immunocytological analyses reveal that MER3 only exists as foci in prophase I meiocytes. In addition, MER3 does not colocalize with PAIR2 at the beginning of prophase I, but locates on one end of PAIR2 fragments at later stages, whereas MER3 foci merely locate on one end of REC8 fragments when signals start to be seen in early prophase I. The normal loading of PAIR2 and REC8 in mer3 implies that their loading is independent of MER3. On the contrary, the absence of MER3 signal in pair2 mutants indicates that PAIR2 is essential for the loading and further function of MER3.